In the largest agreement of its kind, United Airlines has partnered with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s fast Wi-Fi service to its mainline and regional aircraft fleet for free.
According to United, its customers will soon enjoy the same high-speed, low-latency internet service in the air that they enjoy on the ground.
The new, gate-to-gate connectivity will unlock game-changing experiences in the sky at a scale that no other major US airline provides, like access to live TV and streaming services, social media, shopping, gaming, and more, on seatback screens and personal devices simultaneously.
Internet in 1,000 planes
United expects to have Starlink on all United aircraft – more than 1,000 – over the next several years.
Testing will begin in early 2025, and the first passenger flights are expected later that year. Starlink service on United aircraft will be free.
Leveraging advanced satellites and its deep experience in spacecraft and on-orbit operations, SpaceX engineered Starlink and delivers internet access around the world, including over oceans, polar regions, and other remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell or Wi-Fi signals.
United is the largest airline across the Atlantic and Pacific and will be the first carrier in the world to commit to offering Starlink service at this scale.
“Everything you can do on the ground, you’ll soon be able to do onboard a United plane at 35,000 feet, just about anywhere in the world,” said United CEO Scott Kirby.
“This connectivity opens the door for an even better inflight entertainment experience, in every seatback – more content, that’s more personalized. United’s culture of innovation is, once again, delivering big for our customers.”
“We’re excited to team up with United Airlines to transform the inflight experience,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX.
“With Starlink onboard your United flight, you’ll have access to the world’s most advanced high-speed internet from gate to gate, and all the miles in between.”
Live streaming, gaming, e-com
United’s new Starlink Wi-Fi service will include experiences like accessing personal streaming services and watching live TV, shows, and movies without buffering, lag, or the need to download content in advance.
With the internet, customers can download/upload documents and edit shared files in real time, play live games, and follow along on live gaming streaming services.
Customers can also shop online, schedule grocery delivery, and make restaurant and travel reservations, all from the comfort of their seats. They can also connect multiple devices at once under one user.
In addition to using Starlink connectivity on personal devices, United customers can access their seatback screens.
United has nearly 100,000 seatback screens across its fleet, and it plans to grow this number as the airline continues to take delivery of new airplanes and retrofit existing aircraft with its new United signature interiors.
The new service will also benefit United’s frontline employees – United pilots, flight attendants, technicians, and gate agents use mobile devices to help run the operation and serve customers.
As United rolls out Starlink more broadly, it will give those teams the same rich capabilities in the air as they have on the ground, including when working in remote locations or when traditional services might be impacted, like during power outages or natural disasters.
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